Afghan bowler to boycott BBL after Australia pulls out from ODI series vs Afghanistan

Cricket Australia (CA) on Thursday announced the cancellation of its ODI series against Afghanistan due to the Taliban's repressive policies on women and girls. Back in December, the Taliban-led government in Afghanistan barred women from pursuing education at universities and also prohibited them from taking up employment. As a result of this, Australia has now pulled out of its three-match ODI series against Afghanistan. 

Cricket Australia released a statement saying that it is committed to supporting growing the game for women and men around the world, including in Afghanistan. Cricket Australia said that it will continue to engage with the Afghanistan Cricket Board in anticipation of improved conditions for women and girls in the country. CA also thanked the Australian government for its support in the matter. 

"CA is committed to supporting growing the game for women and men around the world, including in Afghanistan, and will continue to engage with the Afghanistan Cricket Board in anticipation of improved conditions for women and girls in the country. We thank the Australian Government for its support on this matter," the CA statement read.

Afghan pacers not happy with Cricket Australia's decision

Afghanistan pacer Naveen-ul-Haq has expressed his disappointment over the decision and has said that he won't be participating in Australia's domestic T20 competition, the Big Bash League (BBL). Naveen-ul-Haq said that he won't take part in the BBL until CA stops making "childish decisions." He went on to accuse CA of snatching away the only reason for happiness (cricket) from the Afghan people. 

"Time to say won’t be participating in big bash after this until they stop these childish decisions that’s how they went about the one-off test now ODI when a country is going through so much in place off being supportive you want to take the only reason of happiness from them #CA," Naveen-ul-Haq wrote in his tweet. 

Meanwhile, this is not the first time Australia has cancelled a bilateral fixture with Afghanistan due to the Taliban's policies on women and girls. Earlier, Cricket Australia called off a one-off Test against Afghanistan because of the Taliban government's policies on women. Afghanistan is the only ICC full-member side that does not have a women's team in place. In the upcoming Women's T20 World Cup in South Africa, Afghanistan is the only ICC full-member nation that will not send a team to take part in the competition. 

Image: Instagram/Naveen-ul-Haq